50 Times People Ordered Things Online But Received Something So Awful, They Just Had To Share (New Pics)
The worldwide pandemic fueled a surge in online shopping across the world, as the year 2022 is expected to be the first trillion-dollar year for online sales. The surge first hit back in 2020 when online consumer spending hit a record $813 billion, which was a 42% increase from only a year earlier, 2019.
Before the pandemic, online shopping was just another way to shop. If you hadn't found what you were looking for in a physical store, online shopping would have been your last resource. Now, we have become used to buying groceries, home improvement products, and sporting goods, which have become especially popular, with a single click. So no wonder the e-shopping world has turned its other side on us and we also face many more shopping fails than ever before.
So today, we wrapped up some of the funniest, weirdest and most frustrating examples of what happens when online shopping goes awry, and presents us with a good old “expectation” vs “reality” experience. Let us know if you have also been betrayed by an item you bought online in the comments! More cruel online shopping fails can be found in our previous posts here, here, here and here.
This post may include affiliate links.
This Is How Amazon Delivered My Body Wash. I Wonder What Are They Expect Me To Do
Didn't another guy get the deodorant, when he ordered this!! Scroll up
With more and more people switching to online shopping, there’s still not enough talk about the dangers lurking behind it. Turns out, online shopping is a perfect place for scams, whether it’s browsing unsafe e-commerce sites, shopping on lookalike pages, or unknowingly disclosing your bank details. So today, Bored Panda spoke with a cybersecurity expert at NordVPN, Daniel Markuson.
“Criminals usually find their victims through online pop-ups, banners, or emails. They rely on advertising engines like Facebook and Google to push their banners on users. Although these companies have strong safeguards in place, some banners still slip in,” he explained.
I Keep Trying To Order Zatarain's Cajun Injector Creole Butter, But I Keep Getting Soaps
We Ordered Toothbrushes On Ebay From China But Received Eye Masks Instead. I’m Not Mad About This Error, And Will Use Them Wisely
“Alternatively, some scammers study their potential future victims and analyze their online behavior, which can be easily done if the victim is browsing the web unprotected,” Markuson added. That’s why it’s important to remember that secure websites have HTTPS in their address.
The cybersecurity expert listed six major scam scenarios you may encounter while online shopping. The first one is “your order has been canceled.” Markuson explained: “These scams can go as far as to say, ‘Sorry, we are out of stock, and your order has been canceled. To claim your refund, please click here.’ Once the victim clicks on the link, they are asked to enter the details of the credit card to which they want to receive the refund and end up with their bank account being wiped out.”
My Family Recently Moved To Florida So I Wanted To Protect Them From The Sun
Sometimes You Don’t Expect A Lot From Aliexpress But Dammit
Thanks To This Woman’s Amazon Review I Promptly Removed This Dress From My Cart
Look into my eyes, look into my eyes, don’t look around the eyes, your under…
Another threat is lookalike pages. “Amazoŋ.com, eday.com, googIe.comv — most users do not spot the discrepancies in the address bar as long as the website design looks legitimate,” he warned and added that they process the payment for the items in their shopping cart and end up being robbed.
Renewing your membership for the purchases you’ve made is another common scam online buyers should be aware of. “Once you’ve finished with your purchases, scammers will send you an email claiming that your Amazon Prime subscription payment is due and the discount cannot be applied. So if you want your items to get delivered, you have to renew the subscription. Ultimately, the victim gets tricked into disclosing their bank details,” Markuson explained.
Ordered A Gromit Coffee Mug Online
My Son Turned 1 Yesterday. This Was The Topper To His Space Themed Cake. Left Is What We Ordered, Right Is What We Got
For My Son’s 1st Birthday, I Give You The Cake We Ordered And The Cake We Got
If a website requires you to download an app, you are likely getting scammed. Imagine you're about to make an online purchase. “Suddenly you're informed that the only way you can grab this ‘exclusive deal’ is to purchase through the app. In reality, you're being directed to download a fraudulent app run by hackers that has been primed to steal your payment information. Interestingly, most of these fake apps also appear in legitimate app stores, according to research by RiskIQ.
Also, watch out if an e-commerce website claims that there’s a delivery issue with your purchase. “Scammers will send bulk emails to Amazon users that claim to be from UPS, FedEx, or Amazon itself. They might read something like this: ‘We're sorry, but your package couldn't be shipped. Please click here to re-arrange delivery or update your method of payment.’” But as soon as you enter payment details, well, you can guess who'll be cashing in, Markuson warned.
Op Ordered The Left Painting From An Instagram "Artist" Who Then Blocked Them After Delivery
It's A Scam
(Found) This Mask From Wish
“Another common scam involves free gift cards, winning a loaded gift card from big retailers. The terms often require you to enter a grab bag or text a random code to 7792, for example. To a bargain shopper, it's too good to pass up. In reality, your details will be collected, your device could be infected with malware, and the scam could be sent to your entire address book.”
I Paid $65 For A Cake That Wasn't Even Worth It
I hate to even have to do this but I want to warn people.
She refused to do anything about it. They don't even look close or anything.
So My Mom Ordered A Memorial Day Wreath For My Grandpa, Who Is A Vietnam Vet
It's cute (edit. Me saying it's cute was no way intended to disrespect vets. As a British person I just saw the bottom image and thought it was a cute rubber ring and did not look closely at the object it's supposed to resemble)
My Friend Ordered This Rug Online. She Got This Instead, Whatever It Is
People really need to check sizes, especially when ordering from sites like Wish.
There are a few things everyone who’s shopping online should know before making a purchase. “An address of a safe website should start with “https://.” The letter S stands for “secure,” Markuson said. “Also, look for a padlock symbol in the address bar next to the website address. It means the connection is secure and no one can read or modify the data that travels between you and the website you’re visiting,” he added.
When You Order Your Halloween Costume From Wish. I Ordered Freddie. Think I Got His Cousin Eddie
Make Sure You Order From The Grown-Ups' Section
Why would someone buy tights thinking it's a shoe size? I don't know if it's different in other countries but we buy according to S,M,L,XL and so forth
Oh, The Joys Of Ordering Online
Two different colors, two different sizes, and both are left shoes. Lovely!
The most common signs of an unsafe online shop or a website are the following: “The website has grammar mistakes; The design looks odd and the website structure is messy; The visuals are not high-quality; The deals are too good to be true; The website URL begins with HTTP, not HTTPS.”
The first thing you should do if you suspect you have just been scammed after paying money for an item on a scam website is to contact your bank, Markuson says. “If you made a payment with a debit or credit card, you may be able to ask your bank to help get your money back through what's called a chargeback. You can also try contacting the police if the amount of money you lost to a scam is significant,” he said.
Ordered A Tool From Amazon. They Sent Me A Bag With Nothing In It. Wish I Could Make This Up
TIL To Check Gifts I Order Online Before Giving Them Away - I Ordered A Game Of Thrones Scarf
My Sister Ordered A Face Mask From Amazon (Left) And The Photo On The Right Is What She Received
What Was Ordered Versus What I Just Received In The Mail Today
So I Ordered Feminine Products Off Amazon And Received Inflatable Basketballs Instead
Amazon Shipped Me An Empty Stick Of Deodorant
Ordered 100 "Empty" Nintendo DS Cases And Got 100 Copies Of Jonas
Well, thorw away the CD with Jonas brothers (what else than this) and you have empty cases. Problem solved :)
So I Ordered Some Popcorn From Amazon. Always Check The Size First
I Ordered 3 Hard Drives From Amazon And They Sent Me 3 Cases Instead
I Can’t Believe It
I Ordered 1 Lbs Of Green Beans Online And Got 1 Very Lonely Green Bean
Amazon Sent Me 4 Copies Of The Aristocats. I Ordered 0
My New Bath Mat Finally Arrived
Factory workers were taking full advantage to boost productivity numbers the day quality control called in sick
I Cannot Stop Laughing At This Amazon Review
£76 Bouquet
They said they had accidentally sent the "small" version of the bouquet (which doesn't exist on their website). They offered a re-delivery of the "correct large size" or q voucher for the cost plus £10 extra. I asked for a full refund. Why would I want the bigger version of a terrible bouquet and why would I trust them for future purchases. They didn't argue.
Always check to see how many blooms are promised per bouquet. I've never had any website flower arrangement be as impressive as the photo.
Ordered A “Rose Apothecary” Sweater From Etsy For My Fiancé. This Came Instead. We’re Both Double Vaxxed And Healthcare Workers
Ordered A Pot/Pan Set Off Amazon After Recently Moving. Beware Super Low Prices On Kitchenware
It’s -35 Today Here In Canada. I Needed Warm Winter Boots. What I Ordered vs. What I Got
Whiskey Advent Calendar
My Wife Just Got This Huge Banner For Work. Perfect
She’s ordered from the same place before and sent them the same file type as before.
Heavy-Duty Combat Boots
Customer Bought Wheels And Tires Online, After Advising Multiple Times That The Tires Are Too Small For His SUV He Insisted For Us To Put Them On
TireSize: 225/45/17
The Cat Tree My Mum Ordered vs. What She Received
Two Baskets I Ordered From Amazon
When You Order A Spooky Shark Costume Online
Was Super Excited For This Replica Glove (You Can Take It Out & Wear It). What I Got. Even In A Broken Frame
I'm wondering what the price on a lot of these items were. In my experience if it sounds too good to be true it is.
When You Order Clothes On Amazon
My Buddy Ordered Some New Dice And Forgot To Check The Size
Axolotl Arrived In The Mail
The New Bathroom Rug I Ordered Online vs. The Actual Rug I Received In The Mail. I'd Say Something Is Wrong Here
Don't trust these items that have the same item photoshopped in many different colour varieties
I Ordered Three Collars From An Online Seller For My Cat, But When The Package Finally Arrived It Contained Two Bottles Of Ivermectin
First Time I Ordered Shoes Online
Astronaut Balloon
Warned My Friend About Buying From Wish. Hope He Learned His Lesson
Ya Got Me, China (Turns Out "HeyDudesShoeUSA" Is Not The Official HeyDudes Site)
Ordered A Shirt That Said “Birthday Girls Brother” But Was Sent This One Instead
I Ordered Some Sample Colors For New Blinds, And They Sent Me Actual Tiny Little Blinds
Wait this is a good one. If the little blinds are the sample colors they wanted
My Poor Mother-In-Law Got Bamboozled By A Fake Website, The Delivered Charlie Brown "Tree" Is So Pathetic Looking I Honestly Love It
What I Ordered vs. What They Sent
Dad Bought Toy Toaster And Kettle Online Thinking They Were Real. He Said "It Was Such A Good Deal"
Just, Just Don't Order From Facebook Ads
Online Flower Order
What My Sister Ordered, What She Got, And The Entire Convo About Making It. Crafters, Do Better
Seriously, if you have to say "within reason", and you KNOW it won't be exact, say so. We're over $100 deep for 2 blankets now. Granted I know the person and knew their printer wasn't big enough and no one listens to me, I still feel like crafters can do better and be more communicative. Pictures are like 5x7 and the words are crooked and the font is a joke.
This "Silver Metallic Jumpsuit" My Friend And I Both Bought For A Party Off An Obscure Website
What I Ordered From Amazon vs. What I Received
I Saw Your Blanket And Raise You My "Carpet" - What We Ordered vs. What We Got
$6.99 On Amazon, Not Eligible For Return
This Migraine Ice Hat
Sister Ordered The First Photo Off Amazon. The Snack Cups Were Labeled “Dishwasher Friendly” - A Plunger With Paper Hats Was What Got Delivered
Owl Planter Macrame
This Is A Dress That I Ordered Online. I Sincerely Hope It Makes You Laugh As Much As It Made Me Laugh
Ordered This Batman Christmas Ornament Back In October. This Is What Arrived Today
Ordered A "Squid Game Game Master" Mask Which Was Advertised To Look 3D And Got This A Piece Of Printed Carton For 7€
Someone Pre Ordered A "PS5" From China. This Is What He Got
What My Parents Ordered vs. What They Got
Cake Ordered vs What Arrived
Charge It, It Will Soon Grow
Nightmare
I Should Have Read The Dimensions
Ordered 2 Of These Shoe Cabinets Online, Second Image Is Everything That Arrived. Company Offered Me A £4 Goodwill Refund When I Complained
I May Have Underestimated The Size Of My Cat
You may have underestimated your cat totally. He doesn't look happy being dresses up.
This Lion Dog Toy My Mom Got On Amazon. Dog Loves It But I Can’t Stop Laughing.
I Bought An Electric Hobby Drill For My Plastic Models Which Turned Out To Be A Plastic Model Itself
That's a standard Tamiya item. It's always been a kit. It falls under their educational line of kits.
My Wife Ordered 360 Pencils For Her Classroom From Amazon. I Think She Was Sent Some Poor Warehouse Worker's Secret Stash
Lol I ordered this for my classroom and now i'm disappointed that I only got pencils :p
I Ordered A Karambit Online. And This Is What I Got
There are a lot of these has anyone here actually gotten a piece of paper instead of what they were supposed to have ordered?
I Ordered A Felt Fox Online
What I Ordered vs. What Came In The Mail
Laptop Stand I Ordered vs. Laptop “Stand” I Got
Well. These "Fully Dimmable" Lamps Are A Disappointment
Wanted A Grass Is Greener Wig Since I Have The Most Boring Brown Straight Hair. Maybe The Grass Is Greener On My Side After All
Ooooh, That's A Lovely Big Chest Of Drawers. Wait...
To be fair, and not to sound like a smart-ass, but you can tell it's small on the left by the grain and literal finger holes for opening... If anything the right is BIGGER than what I thought it could be from the left pic.
Ordered "Outdoor Garden Watering Can" From Ebay. Not Just The Size But You Can See There's No Holes In There
I have one similar that I use to put a small cacti in, it's so cute :) But it was not sold as a full watering can!
What I Expected On The Left, A Cute Light Up Christmas Duck vs. What I Got
My Dad Ordered Another Light For The Outside Shed
This Bear My Mother Bought For My Brother's New Baby. I Am Scared For The Baby
Aliexpress Ad vs. Customer Review
Why would you want yo look like you murdered a polar bear and turned it inside out, anyway?
If I Close My Eyes And Squint They Almost Look Alike - "Softserve" Clothing
Christmas Tree From Belk $583.00
Firstly, you need to fluff the branches on any artificial tree. Secondly, any glitter that was going to fall off at all would surely fall off the first time it was unpacked.
My Package Arrived Empty, Amazon Offered Me A New Item If I Sent The Other Back In Less Than 30 Days. That Might Be A Problem
Got Scammed On Amazon, Thinking I Found A Deal On An Ornament
When You Buy A Basketball For Your Son’s Net Online
So, I Ordered A "Bracelet" A Few Days Ago
An Online Listing vs. What Was Actually Delivered
This Was Ordered For My Sister As A Gift vs. What She Received. She Loves It Even More Now
Squishy Cat Stress Reliever. Ordered vs. Received
On A Chair vs. My 9 Lb Dog's Bed
100% Cotton Botanical Print vs. 80% Polyester Kid's Drawing
how is it a kids drawing? i mean polyester is worse, but the colors are more vibrant...
Decided To Try Using A Grocery Curbside Pick-Up. I Guess There Will Be No Bruschetta For Dinner
Hairbands On Amazon. Just Need To Turn The Saturation Up A Little Bit In Real Life
My XXX-L Bike Helmet Arrived From China. How Big Is My Head
I Can't Stop Laughing
"From You Flowers" Sucks
The Expectation vs. Reality Of The Masks I Ordered For Halloween
What I Bought vs. What I Got
What You Ordered vs. What You Got
What I Bought vs. What I Got. Thanks, Amazon
Remind Me To Read An Online Store’s Reviews Next Time I’m Looking For A Predator Mogwai
This time, the true predator was whoever was selling this piece of crap.
I Ordered Shoes Online. They Came With An Attached In-Store Security Cable
Ordered Off Aliexpress, Surprisingly Good Quality Just Totally Not What I Wanted
What I Ordered vs. What I Got. It’s About A Third Of The Size It’s Supposed To Be
I've got this, it comes vacuum packed. They tell you to let it expand for 48 hours & then put the cover on. It is as advertised.
What I Ordered vs. What I Got. What Is This, A Handle For Ants?
Inner Beauty Is All That Matters
Amazon Warehouse Expectation vs Reality
What I Ordered Versus What I Received. Missed It By This Much. Thanks, Amazon
Grogu Sitting On Your Shoulder? God No
Someone Ordered A Yarn Yoshi Amiibo And Got This Instead
Don’t Worry, The Tree Is Three Feet Like It Had Said Online
Bought A Squid Game Mask Off Amazon For Halloween And This Is What Came
Ordered Some Cute Alternate Design Pokemon Plushies And Got Janky Normal Versions In The Mail
The ones I received weren’t even an option in the drop-down menu.
Aw man, those alternative designs are so cool! I would have been majorly disappointed if this happened to me.
The Customer Service Was Great, At Least
Expectations vs. Reality
What I Ordered vs. What I Got
I've knitted a pair of those for a friend who migrated to Australia. But really, mine looked better than the 'original' photo here. These kinds of things need handknitting experience and patience. Well, he was happy, that's all what counts anyway.
I Know Buying Aquarium Driftwood Online Is Risky, But This Was Ridiculous
Just a little google research and some outdoor time and you can get your driftwood for free. Processing isn't hard.
What I Ordered, The Box It Arrived In, The Item Inside The Box. Thanks, Amazon
Peppa
We Ordered Some Christmas Cheer
Not Quite As Advertised
I Should Have Known
Indiana Jones Idol: Current Scam Going Around From 2 Chinese Stores
Ewwww, why anyone would want this in their homes, I don't know. But chacun a son gout.
Etsy Ring
Saw An Awesome-Looking Halloween Bulbasaur On Facebook. I Am Disappointed
Online Shopping - I Ordered An XL
These Alligator Socks I Bought My Partner For Christmas
I've Been Buying Aliexpress Cases For Years, And Only Had Like 3 Fails. This One Arrived Today And It Hurts The Most
Ordered On Amazon, Waited Two Months
Squid Game “Front Man” Mask, Original Amazon Listing Is No Longer Available
This Is What I Get For Ordering Things From A Facebook Ad. Never Again
"Simply Place The Egg In Water!"
I Liked The Fact That The Logo Was Relatively Small, So I Placed The Order
What I Ordered vs. What I Got In The Mail
Had A Little Giggle When Trying On My Boohoo Holiday Haul This Evening. Ordered A Skirt And Somehow I've Ended Up With A New Dress
Egg-A-Matic Dinosaur Mold For Hard Boiled Eggs I Purchased On Amazon For $7
Don’t Shop At Ultamodan. Took 3 Months To Arrive, And I Got This Shambles
I Think Before I Agt. They Should Maybe Do The Same
It's crap anyway, why would you want to walk around in a t-shirt about hitting people?
What I Ordered Versus What I Got
What I Ordered vs. What I Got
£7.00 Christmas Tree Decoration From John Lewis
Thanks, Wish
Warning: Look At The Sizes When Shopping For Lens Caps Online. I Think This Lens Cap Was Made For Barbie
What I Ordered vs. What I Got
Perfect For Those Palm-Sized Cakes
I Was Trying To Find A Cute Pattern On Etsy And Came Across This. The First One Was The Thumbnail And The Second One Is What You See When You Scroll Across
Looks like a hook size mishap and an aversion to sewing and felting.
These Shark Earrings I Bought For A Friend For Christmas
Shopped On Amazon. Product Looks Kind Of Different In Person
Be Careful Where You Order From. What My Mom Ordered For Me. What I Got
Let Down For Sure. Not Even Any Liquid In It Or Anywhere To Add Liquid
The Baby Yoda Wine Glass I Ordered. My Disappointment Is Immeasurable And My Day Is Ruined
A While Back, I Ordered The Figure On The Left. Amazon Sent Me The One On The Right Instead
Instagram Ad For A Kindling Cracker (i.e., Making Kindling For A Woodstove)
Damn
I think a lot of people got exactly what they paid for: A cheap rip-off. If it seems to be too cheap for what it is, it may be too good to be true. And even if it arrives and it's exactly what you expected and didn't cost much, then most likely someone somewhere was exploited for it. If you're not willing to pay a reasonable price, don't buy anything at all.
100% I was going to type the same thing. People are amazed their $10-$40 item isn't the exact heavily detailed, amazingly painted, handcrafted item they bought? No way.
Load More Replies...Yeah guys you order counterfeit products from shady sites and expect.. i dont know, tell me what you actually expect ?
I know, like you really need that replica of Freddy Kruger's bladed glove? Wtf.
Load More Replies...I think a lot of people got exactly what they paid for: A cheap rip-off. If it seems to be too cheap for what it is, it may be too good to be true. And even if it arrives and it's exactly what you expected and didn't cost much, then most likely someone somewhere was exploited for it. If you're not willing to pay a reasonable price, don't buy anything at all.
100% I was going to type the same thing. People are amazed their $10-$40 item isn't the exact heavily detailed, amazingly painted, handcrafted item they bought? No way.
Load More Replies...Yeah guys you order counterfeit products from shady sites and expect.. i dont know, tell me what you actually expect ?
I know, like you really need that replica of Freddy Kruger's bladed glove? Wtf.
Load More Replies...